Recently I was looking to see if there is anything new and
exciting in the world of bug out bags (BOB), everyday carry (EDC), escape &
evasion (E&E) and preparedness in general. I found my answers but they were
not what I was expecting. It seems that everyone thinks they are subject matter
experts and feel a compulsion to throw out their opinions on topics that they
clearly are not qualified or have very little experience. It was very disappointing to say the
least. Clearly, the internet age of
YouTube, blogs, forums, social media, webpages, etc. has provided a platform
for armchair preparedness enthusiasts to partake in the available tools to
disseminate their information.
I guess I have reached the point, through experience, where
I can rapidly assess and tell if someone knows what they are talking about on a
given topic. The problem is that there are a lot of people using the internet
to increase their knowledge and use it as a resource for information. These
people may not have the ability to discriminate good information from bad
information. This can lead you down a
path that does not suit your needs. It can also cause you to spend money on
products that you do not need or do not have the skills to use. It is important
to thoroughly conduct research on a topic before making decisions. I will say
that a very small percentage of people actually know what they are talking
about and have the requisite experience that backs up their knowledge. These
people should not be making videos or attempt to come across as an expert on an
internet forum. I have watched way too many YouTube videos and read a lot of
forum posts where people are poorly attempting to tell you about a subject that
they are not experienced. Remember, at the end of the day it is you that needs
to make decisions that impact your level of preparedness. If you follow bad
advice then you will suffer the consequences, not the person who provided you
the bad information.
Things to look out for when conducting research:
- "Unboxing" videos on YouTube are a complete waste of time and provide no relevant information. Skip these YouTube videos. Too the people that make such videos please STOP! I would much rather see a video of a product that you actually used and field tested so that you know the pros and cons of the item. Real world experience actually matters.
- Listen carefully to what the person is saying in a video. If they do not appear confident in what they are talking about that is a red flag. If they contradict themselves that is a red flag. The person should be able clearly articulate the pros and cons of a product based on experience. They should be able to provide insight that is only gained through actual use.
- Are the item(s) shown new or used? If an item appears to be new that means that the person probably did not field test it. For me, anything they say becomes valueless without a testing and review process. Yes, there is a chance that the person has multiple items of the same implement but this is probably not the case. I recently watched an “Escape & Evasion” video on an E&E kit. The kit and all of its contents were brand new. Some of the contents were still in the original packaging! Every other comment was, “we sell this in our online store.” Clearly, this person made the video to sell items under the guise of this is my E&E kit. The video was not based on his experience. Beware of such people! Their goal is money; not knowledge.
- Production quality of a video, while nice, is not relational to the quality of information that you will receive. I have watched some very well produced videos but the information was terrible and incorrect. On the other hand I have seen poor quality videos where the information was suburb. Do not confuse these two issues.
- Resist the urge to jump on the bandwagon just because everyone else does. For example, there are a lot of forums where people discuss a topic and everyone agrees or thinks that it is a great idea. But, in reality it is not a good idea. I remember one time I participated in a very popular firearms forum. The thread was on the use of flashlights that strobe. The original poster said that flashlights that strobe are a gimmick and useless. Everyone was agreeing and saying that these flashlights suck. I joined in the forum and said that such flashlights are a very valuable tool IF you know how to use it properly. I provided very specific examples and details why such flashlights are valuable. As expected everyone teamed up on me saying I didn’t know what I was talking about and that I was ignorant despite the fact that I had extensive training with such lights. Then, a well-known and popular “firearms expert” joined the discussion saying that such flashlights were a very valuable tool. From that moment on everyone changed their tune and the strobing flashlight was the best tool ever invented. The same people who bashed the light now completely supported it! What changed? Nothing. These people still had no experience or training with the light. They changed their view on the word of an expert and nothing else. (As a side note the firearms expert is actually an expert and someone whose opinion that I value and respect.) The point is that you should not be persuaded on group think. Come to your own conclusions which is best obtained through experience.
- Internet forums tend to be very clicky and often childish. Be wary of those with high “post” counts as they tend to be spending a lot of time on the computer as opposed to using the skills that they profess to have. If you are new to the forum with a low post count they tend to treat you like crap unless you adhere to their closely protected structure which means they want you to acquiesce to their beliefs and not stir the pot with original thinking. They tend to be very wary of new people who go against the grain and who can think for themselves.
Never lose the lust to obtain new knowledge and skills. It
is unfortunate that you may need to sift through many layers of conflicting
information to get the little nuggets of gold. But, in the end you will learn a
lot.
TC
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